


Presence

by Iordio



Series: Reflexions [7]
Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 10:16:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20905997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iordio/pseuds/Iordio
Summary: Coffee, subtle digs, repairing relationships. Completely mundane fluff.





	Presence

December 2017

“What are you getting Serena for Christmas?” asked Charlotte as she sipped her coffee. She had a taken a couple of days annual leave to come back to Holby and see her parents and tentatively sort out where she was going to be spending Christmas.

“Ugh! Don’t. I’m dreading it. She’s got everything she needs, and she's given me something I only dared dream about. Apart from you and Cam, I mean!” smiled Bernie knowing full well how her daughter would react. Being this open, this self-deprecating with Charlotte was her way of letting her know that she's trying to build bridges.

Their relationship had evolved from initial wariness to daily messages that started off sensibly and ended up with her daughter making subtle digs at her to weekly phone calls with the odd weekend visit thrown in for good measure. If Bernie was being honest, it was all new ground for both them, but she wanted both her kids in her life, and for this first time in as long as she cared to remember she wasn’t running away, she was actually dealing with years of issues that she had purposefully ignored. She could thank Serena for… Well, just being there.

“God! When did you turn into some mushy sap?” grinned Charlotte. “Anyway, back to my question. What have you got Serena…? You have actually started looking, right?” Pausing to glance at her Mum. “So, I’m taking that deer in the headlights look as a no, then?” as she watched her Mum wring her hands. 

“You’re not a lawyer yet, so don’t practice on me,” laughed Bernie.

“Please tell me you have at least thought about it, though?”

All the bloody time, thought Bernie, “Yes, of course I have!”

“And… “ prompted Charlotte, laughing at how flustered her Mum was getting.

“I have a few ideas,” huffed out Bernie.

“So, tell me then,” directed Charlotte. 

“Right, Right. Well, I thought about a couple of pairs of those hot flush menopause pyja…” said Bernie as Charlotte’s guffaw could be heard over the chatter and clatter of the café. She really is my daughter thought Bernie.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Mum. You can’t get Serena those!” honked Charlotte. “Talk about passion killers!”

“I don’t mean it like that! Serena’s been struggling with her hot flushes, and I thought it might help,” shared Bernie.

“Your ideas are rubbish,” laughed Charlotte.

“I seem to remember that you wore those Wonder Woman pyjamas that I bought you for your eighth birthday until you were fourteen. So I can’t be that bad,” retorted Bernie.

“I know, but they were meant for a 12 year old,” remembered Charlotte.

“Well, how was I supposed to know to check the label and not the hanger!” laughed Bernie.

“So, what other ideas has your brilliant mind come up with?” asked Charlotte.

“You really aren’t letting this go, are you?”

“Not on your life, it’s too much fun watching you squirm. Gotta get my kicks somehow,” continued Charlotte.

“Well, she’s not much of a reader, said she does plenty of reading for work. Wine, that’s a given. Jewellery, although I’m not sure we’re at that stage, yet,” said Bernie, hoping her fringe would hide some inner thoughts about what specific jewellery she had in mind. “She loves her music, and theatre, so I was thinking tickets to something in Bath or maybe in somewhere together for a long weekend…” drifted off Bernie.

“Ok, so that’s not too bad. What about small presents as a joke? Didn’t Serena say that she loved The Golden Girls when she was growing up and wished she had Dorothy’s sarcasm?”

“She’s got enough sarcasm without adding in anyone else! Or Gillian Anderson related…” laughed Bernie, who had the good grace to blush at the memory.

“You do know that Serena told me about buying the doll a few weeks ago. I thought it was really sweet.”

“You did?” said Bernie.

“Yeah, which is why I suggested little silly things. And she also is struggling what to get you apart from a single malt and thermal vests,” said Charlotte.

“You’ll make a bloody good interrogator!” quipped Bernie.

“I know!” said Charlotte, squaring her shoulders and looking down her nose, much to her Mum’s amusement. “Drink up. We’re going shopping.”

“No, no, no. I’m not going shopping with you if I’m buying things for my girlfriend, I don’t want you giving me disapproving looks,” squeaked Bernie.

“Who says you’re the one who’s buying things. I have a brother, father, and a difficult to buy for mother,” laughed Charlotte as she hooked her arm into her Mum’s elbow.

“Single malt and a jigsaw, and I’m happy,” quipped Bernie.

“Are you really? Happy, I mean?” asked Charlotte.

“Yes. Which doesn’t mean to say that I wasn’t happy with your father at one point, if that’s what you’re implying,” replied Bernie as Charlotte shook her head. “There’s been so many changes over the last couple of years, it’s taking time to get used to them. And yes, having a better relationship with you and Cameron, is I hope, slowly making up for all the years I was away on tour,” explained Bernie.

“It is. But let’s not dwell on that. So much was said in the heat of the moment,” said Charlotte who ducked her head in remorse at the statement she had given during her parents divorce.

“...Water under the bridge. We all said things, we all did things. Things born out of frustration and loss, and in my case fear,” Bernie said wistfully.

“What are your shifts over Christmas?” asked Charlotte as they walked through the Christmas stalls in the old market square.

“I’m doing Christmas Eve late and Christmas Day late, and Serena is doing Christmas Day early and Boxing Day early. We'll see each other at handover, off for two days then back in. Why?” asked Bernie. 

“Can I stay with you? That’s if you aren’t staying at Serena’s...” asked Charlotte somewhat hesitantly.

“Oh, Lottie, that would be lovely. What about your father, have you spoken to him?”

“Yes. He questioned my loyalty to him, and I told him that I’m an adult and that maybe he should try it!”

“Ha!” 

“Well, he was being an idiot.”

“He’s still your father...” said Bernie, looking sideways at her daughter. And I hope that you don’t think I’m asking you to pick sides."

“I know you won’t,” sighed Charlotte. "I want somewhere to chill, do some work and sleep. Dad will want me to go visit Uncle David and Auntie Miriam, and I really don’t want to.”

Bernie remembered dinners with David and Miriam, as a rule they were excruciating. David and Bernie bystanders to Marcus and Miriam's sibling rivalry. “Ah, completely understand.”

\--

“Serena has stopped dying her hair. Did I tell you that? And I quote 'being grey is much more rebellious these days'. It really suits her,” mused Bernie as they ate their lunch.

“Mum, she could wear a beehive and you would still get heart eyes!” laughed Charlotte.

“Would not,” pouted Bernie.

“Whatever, Mum,” said Charlotte as she stole a chip from her Mum’s plate. “Fancy heading home and I can help you wrap your presents?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ve bought bags. And yes, I have actually figured out that I can’t wrap presents!"

“Good, otherwise you’d have to pay someone to wrap Serena’s!” joked Charlotte. 

Didn’t matter last year, thought Bernie as they spent their days off in between Christmas and New Year in Bernie’s bed.


End file.
